Digital single processors have seen increased use in recent years. This is due to the fact that the processing technology has advanced to an extent that large fast processors can be manufactured. The speed of these processors allows a large number of computations to be made, such that a very complex algorithms can be executed in very short periods of time. One use for these digital single processors is in real-time applications wherein data is received on an input, the algorithm of the transformer function computed and an output generated in what is virtually real-time.
When digital single processors are fabricated, they are typically manufactured to provide a specific computational algorithm and its associated data path. For example, in digital filters, a Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filter is typically utilized and realized with a Digital Single Processor (DSP). Typically, a set of coefficients is stored in a RAM and then a multiplier/accumulator circuit is provided that is operable to process the various coefficients and data in a multi-tap configuration. However, the disadvantage to this type of application is that the DSP is "customized" for each particular application. The reason for this is that a particular algorithm requires a different sequence of computations. For example, in digital filters, there is typically a multiplication followed by an accumulation operation. Other algorithms may require additional multiplications or additional operations and even some shift operations in order to realize the entire function. This therefore requires a different data path configuration. At present, the reconfigurable DSPs have not been a reality and they have not provided the necessary versatility to allow them to be configured to cover a wide range of applications.